The original trilogy of The Hunger Games presented a deadly annual show in which twenty-four kids of the districts are forced to fight to the death by the game makers of the Capitol. This event is known as the Hunger Games. The last kid standing is allowed to go back to their district with love and money from the Capitol, although the games never really end, as seen later in the books. During the day where the kids are picked from the crowd, the Reaping day, of the 74th games, Katniss, the protagonist, sacrifices herself for her sister, which is the catalyst for the series.
Ten years after the release of the last book, a new one about the 10th game was announced. In this book, the objective of the game maker is to turn the games into a real show that is truly interesting to the inhabitants of the country of Panem. But people, both from the districts and the Capitol were too poor to really care and the entertainment was not really there.
The popularity of the franchise was especially revived as the movie adaptation of the last book was announced. Suddenly, many people started talking about this universe once again.
With the last movie coming out the popularity of the Hunger Games was revived. Suddenly many people started talking about this universe again. Many were asking for more movies, a TV Show, etc. Those prayers were finally answered last June when a new book and a new movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, was announced. It promises the readers a more detailed version of the 50th Hunger Games, won by a character familiar to the fans of the original trilogy, Haymitch, a drunk and the only of the four winners of the district.
The origin of the Hunger Games
While flickering between a dumb reality show and footage from the situation in Iraq on TV, the idea of a show where people are forced to perform in order to survive came to Suzanne Collins, and so the idea of the Hunger Games was developed. The idea of “Panem et Circenses”, bread and circuses in English, is core in the story. The saying means that as long as populations do not have to worry about their bread (food) and their circuses (entertainment), it will be appeased. In the Capitol, being appeased means letting other people slaughter each other every year and giving your favourite some gifts to help them survive.
Suzanne Collins grew up on military bases because of her father’s position in the US military, which is part of the reason why the subject of war and conflicts matter so much to her. She is prominent in the Hunger Games books. It is also important to mention that she said she would not write anything that she did not have to say. She stated about the new book: “The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question ‘Real or not real?’ seems more pressing to me every day.” She also mentioned being interested in “the easiness with which the many are governed by the few,” while quoting David Hume, a Scottish enlightenment philosopher. Considering what was discussed, it is completely fair to assume that world news involving propaganda and conflicts may be the inspiration behind the new installment of the Hunger Games.
The situation in Gaza
Since October of last year, the conflict between Israel and Palestine has developed into a real genocide directed to the people of Palestine. With the rise of Zionism at the end of World War II, Palestine was chosen to host the new country for Jewish people which is now known as Israel. Palestine was supposed to give land to the new country and agree to a two-state country, but the deal was never completed. Therefore, the entire land was given to Israel and Palestine became a non-official country. Soon after, of course, the talk about colonialism happened.
The Gaza Strip, owned by Palestine, has been in a blockade for more than ten years, controlled by Israel. Now, Israel owns most of that territory and since last October, has dropped around 45,000 bombs in the first three months alone. The median age in Palestine this year is at 20 years only, compared to Canada which has more than double that, with 40,5 years. Due to the blockade, Palestine is extremely poor and most inhabitants cannot escape. Survivors online are forced to beg for money to be able to hope to evacuate. It is impossible to pretend this is only a war and not a genocide. And yet. And yet the whole world is letting it happen. Many governments all over the world call this genocide a mere conflict.
The parallels between the country of Israel and the country of Panem are easy to make. In Gaza, food cannot be delivered safely due to the blockade, which means that 96% of the population has trouble getting enough food for a healthy diet. In District 12, the distance between the Capitol and the mountains makes the delivery of Tessera, which promises food for those who submit their names more than the normal amount, very difficult and leads to many people starving. In the real world, Hamas is a group of Palestinian terrorists who are attacking Israel. In Panem, there are the rebels of District 13. Both groups have suffered the actions of their oppressive government. Imagine yourself stuck in Palestine, you have always been oppressed. Your family has died in front of your eyes. But someone arrives and promises you freedom. How can anyone excuse the rebels of District 13 while refusing to understand the situation of those who join Hamas? It’s easy to forget, but the emerging district’s populations are terrorists in the eyes of the Capitol. Due to propaganda, Israelis have been taught their whole lives that Palestinians only want to destroy everything and take control, while in the Capitol, people are told that the people from districts are nothing more than vermin ready to destroy civilization due to their jealousy and savagery. Now there’s only one question left: who is the Capitol?
It may be easy to assume that the Capitol would solely be Israel in this situation, but that is partially wrong.
Panem
Many companies have shown their support for Israel in this conflict, to varying degrees. Namely, McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, KFC and Sanrio (the company behind Hello Kitty) are some of the most well-known, due to grassroots initiatives online. For months, people have been calling for boycotts against said companies, and yet we, the popular masses, keep buying from them. I heard so many people say things like “Who cares if you buy from them one time,” “It’s not that expensive, how can it really change anything?” or even “But it’s good/cute”… After a certain period of time, people forget. They get lazy and decide they would rather sacrifice the boycott rather than sacrifice their own comfort.
Circenses
There is a great irony in asking for more of the Hunger Games franchise. Since the last book came out, people were already theorizing about what the next book would be about. Many fans wanted a new book, movie, TV show, or anything to satisfy their thirst. There is a clear trap that we, fans of the Hunger Games, are falling for. It is completely ironic to care more about a series of fictional books in which people die due to fictional injustices and fictional oppression, rather than caring about real people dying of real injustices and real oppression.
Sources:
https://www.today.com/popculture/books/sunrise-on-the-reaping-hunger-games-cover-plot-rcna175075
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism_as_settler_colonialism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_bombing_of_the_Gaza_Strip#:~:text=According%20to%20analysis
%20by%20Humanity,bombs%20lay%20amongst%20the%20ruins.
https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Against-These-Companies-Profiting-From-Genocide
https://www.oxfam.org/en/timeline-humanitarian-impact-gaza-blockade
